Author:
Lim Sahnah,Ali Shahmir H.,Mohaimin Sadia,Dhar Ritu,Dhar Moitrayee,Rahman Farzana,Roychowdhury Liza,Islam Tanzeela,Islam Nadia
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Sexual violence is a growing issue faced across diverse South Asian American communities under the backdrop of a distinct religious and cultural environment that intersects with the ability to prevent and manage this public health crisis. There is also growing attention on sexual violence experienced by younger or second-generation South Asian Americans, although little is known on the prevalence of this violence and its impact on health outcomes. Using data from a community-driven sexual violence survey, this study describes the experience of sexual violence and related help seeking behaviors and mental health outcomes among 18–34-year-old South Asian Americans living near the New York (NY) State region.
Methods
Participants were recruited via social media to participate in an anonymous survey developed in partnership with an advisory board of South Asian young adult representatives. Data was analyzed descriptively and through adjusted logistic regression models.
Results
Overall, responses from 335 sexual assault survivors were analyzed. Types of assault experienced included no-contact (97.6%), contact (75.2%), rape attempts (50.2%), rape (44.6%), and multiple rape (19.6%). Many reported perpetrators were South Asian (65.1%) or family members (25.1%). Only 27.6% indicated they had reported assaults to authorities or received services. In adjusted analyses, odds of help seeking were higher among participants who were older (AOR:1.10, 95%CI:1.02–1.20), were a sexual minority (lesbian, gay, bisexual) (1.98, 1.05–3.71), had a family member as the perpetrator (1.85, 1.01–3.40), had lower disclosure stigma (1.66, 1.16–2.44), and experienced depression (2.16, 1.10–4.47). Odds of depression were higher among sexual minority participants and lower among those with higher sexual assault disclosure stigma (3.27, 1.61–7.16; 0.68, 0.50–0.93).
Conclusions
Findings call for greater targeted policy interventions to address the prevention of sexual violence among young South Asian Americans and greater focus on improving help seeking behaviors and improving mental health outcomes among survivors.
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Subject
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
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